Dionysios is a Partner and National Co-Leader of the BLG Transportation & Logistics Group. He practices primarily in the areas of transportation & shipping law, environmental law, and energy law. A three-time “Lawyer of the Year," he is widely recognized as a leading advocate in these fields. Dionysios also serves as the Regional Group Manager of Specialized Disputes in the Vancouver office of BLG.
Dionysios has represented clients before the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, all levels of court in British Columbia, and before a number of administrative tribunals. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia, he served as a judicial law clerk to several justices of the British Columbia Supreme Court.
Dionysios frequently speaks and publishes on a wide variety of legal subjects. He has been interviewed by national media outlets such as Global News, and his work has appeared in legal publications (including the leading Irwin Law reference work Canadian Maritime Law, The Alberta Law Review, The Transportation Lawyer, The Lawyers Weekly, The Verdict, Bar Talk, and various Continuing Legal Education Society of BC works);trade publications (such as Western Mariner and Tradewinds); and in general interest publications (including the Vancouver Sun and Business in Vancouver).
Dionysios provides legal services through a Law Corporation.
Overview
- Counsel to shipping and transportation clients in dispute-related matters (vessel arrest, cargo arrest, casualty incidents, spill response, regulatory investigations, insolvency proceedings, blockade injunctions and judicial reviews); transactional matters (the negotiation of charterparty agreements, contracts of affreightment, terminal services agreements, tug service agreements, confidential railway contracts, and trucking contracts); and regulatory matters (permits, licenses, authorizations).
- Counsel to major project proponents (including TransLink, Woodfibre LNG, Ridley Terminals, B.C. Hydro, Petronas, and Apache Corporation) on matters involving environmental assessments, regulatory approvals, and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in infrastructure projects.
- Counsel on a wide range of environmental law matters, including: the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), civil cost-recovery proceedings, the contractual allocation of environmental risks and liabilities, pollution-related matters (air, water and soil), spills, and regulatory compliance and enforcement (including criminal prosecutions).
- Counsel to energy industry clients in proceedings before the National Energy Board (now the Canada Energy Regulator), the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, and the British Columbia Surface Rights Board.
- Counsel to shipping and transportation clients in dispute-related matters (vessel arrest, cargo arrest, casualty incidents, spill response, regulatory investigations, insolvency proceedings, blockade injunctions and judicial reviews); transactional matters (the negotiation of charterparty agreements, contracts of affreightment, terminal services agreements, tug service agreements, confidential railway contracts, and trucking contracts); and regulatory matters (permits, licenses, authorizations).
- Counsel to major project proponents (including TransLink, Woodfibre LNG, Ridley Terminals, B.C. Hydro, Petronas, and Apache Corporation) on matters involving environmental assessments, regulatory approvals, and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in infrastructure projects.
- Counsel on a wide range of environmental law matters, including: the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), civil cost-recovery proceedings, the contractual allocation of environmental risks and liabilities, pollution-related matters (air, water and soil), spills, and regulatory compliance and enforcement (including criminal prosecutions).
- Counsel to energy industry clients in proceedings before the National Energy Board (now the Canada Energy Regulator), the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, and the British Columbia Surface Rights Board.
Representative Matters
- Counsel to Trigon Pacific Terminals in a British Columbia Supreme Court civil action and a Federal Court judicial review proceeding against the Prince Rupert Port Authority, relating to a proposed $750 million LPG terminal in Prince Rupert.
- Counsel to Kirby Corporation in ongoing Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court civil proceedings and British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory prosecution arising from the grounding of the M/T Nathan E. Stewart and subsequent bunker fuel spill.
- Counsel to Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in over 100 ongoing Canadian Federal Court civil actions and all regulatory investigations arising out of the M/V Zim Kingston container loss and vessel fire casualty.
- Counsel to Southern Railway of British Columbia in a Federal Court judicial review proceeding against Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and DP World, relating to a Railway Services Tariff in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Wolverine Terminals on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its vessel bunkering operations in the Port of Prince Rupert.
- Counsel to Richardson Terminals in British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board proceedings challenging the constitutionality of certain provincial environmental legislation and its application to a federally regulated grain elevator and marine terminal in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Bel Excavating and Shoring Limited Partnership in British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory prosecution arising from the $200 million expansion of Fairview Terminals.
- Counsel to Filld Inc. on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its mobile fuel delivery service in Canada.
- Counsel to Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. in all Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings arising out of its US$10.5 billion foreign insolvency.
- Counsel to the City of Vancouver in Federal Court proceedings arising out of the M/V Marathassa oil spill in Burrard Inlet.
- Counsel to the two largest container terminals in Port Metro Vancouver in Federal Court judicial review proceedings arising from the 2014 Joint Action Plan imposed to end a commercial trucking strike.
- Counsel to a member of the Jordanian Royal Family in Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings to enforce a USD $28.8 million foreign fraud judgment in a matter involving a vessel arrest and the insolvency of a local shipyard.
- Counsel to Aozora Bank in the arrest and sale of the M/V Yosemite containership, as part of the USD $300 million Eastwind bankruptcy proceedings.
- Counsel to Westwood Shipping Lines in the seminal Westwood Annette case, in which the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal held that the Hague Visby Rules do not compulsorily apply to sea waybills under Canadian law.
- Counsel to Trigon Pacific Terminals in a British Columbia Supreme Court civil action and a Federal Court judicial review proceeding against the Prince Rupert Port Authority, relating to a proposed $750 million LPG terminal in Prince Rupert.
- Counsel to Kirby Corporation in ongoing Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court civil proceedings and British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory prosecution arising from the grounding of the M/T Nathan E. Stewart and subsequent bunker fuel spill.
- Counsel to Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in over 100 ongoing Canadian Federal Court civil actions and all regulatory investigations arising out of the M/V Zim Kingston container loss and vessel fire casualty.
- Counsel to Southern Railway of British Columbia in a Federal Court judicial review proceeding against Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and DP World, relating to a Railway Services Tariff in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Wolverine Terminals on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its vessel bunkering operations in the Port of Prince Rupert.
- Counsel to Richardson Terminals in British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board proceedings challenging the constitutionality of certain provincial environmental legislation and its application to a federally regulated grain elevator and marine terminal in the Port of Vancouver.
- Counsel to Bel Excavating and Shoring Limited Partnership in British Columbia Provincial Court regulatory prosecution arising from the $200 million expansion of Fairview Terminals.
- Counsel to Filld Inc. on all aspects of the commencement and operation of its mobile fuel delivery service in Canada.
- Counsel to Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. in all Canadian Federal Court and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings arising out of its US$10.5 billion foreign insolvency.
- Counsel to the City of Vancouver in Federal Court proceedings arising out of the M/V Marathassa oil spill in Burrard Inlet.
- Counsel to the two largest container terminals in Port Metro Vancouver in Federal Court judicial review proceedings arising from the 2014 Joint Action Plan imposed to end a commercial trucking strike.
- Counsel to a member of the Jordanian Royal Family in Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and British Columbia Supreme Court proceedings to enforce a USD $28.8 million foreign fraud judgment in a matter involving a vessel arrest and the insolvency of a local shipyard.
- Counsel to Aozora Bank in the arrest and sale of the M/V Yosemite containership, as part of the USD $300 million Eastwind bankruptcy proceedings.
- Counsel to Westwood Shipping Lines in the seminal Westwood Annette case, in which the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal held that the Hague Visby Rules do not compulsorily apply to sea waybills under Canadian law.
